stephensoil



' (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheefi'L J. STEPHENSON.

- GABLE GAR.

No. 155,774 Patented-July 14,1891.

. N WITNESSES S, m VEJV'IOR W. M w. exlww/ (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2'.

J.- STEPHENSON.

CABLE GAR No. 455,774. Patented July 14,1891.

I IJVVEJVTOR UNITED STATES ATENT FFlE-@ JOHN STEPHENSON, OF NIHV YORK, 'N, Y.

CABLE CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 455,774, dated July 14, 1 891. Application file'd November 8, 189d- Serial No. 370,775. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN STEPHENSON, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cable Cars, of which the following is a specification.

In cable-grip cars it has been usual for the operator and the grip-operating mechanism to be located nearly at the center of the carbody; but there is now a demand that the opter to avoid accidents, but without moving forward the grip-machine, which should remain atits old location at the middle of the car-body, so as better to avoid accidentson the roadway. The change of the position of the operator from the center to the end of a cable-grip car would not be difficult if the grip-machine were fixed in its location without provision for horizontal motion, but it is otherwise. when the grip-machine must constantly change its relation transversely and longitudinally to the body; and my invention consists in means, hereinafter fully set forth, whereby the operator may occupy a position at the front of the car and yet regulate the movements in connection with a' grip machine capable of longitudinal and transverse motions to a certain extent independent of the car-body.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an elevation of sufficient of a one-endedv cable-grip-car truck to illustrate my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan of those parts illustrated in Fig. 1 that are below the car-body.

The car-bodyAis of any suitable construction, and there is a front platform B, where the operator is to be stationed in proximity to the grip-operating lever O.

The car-truck is constructed in any suitable manner to properly co-operate with the other part-s hereinafter described; but I have illusunited by two parallel rods 3 l with articuposition of the cable may require in passing curves or switches, and is also supported to permit an endwise motion,limited bysprings 6 6, to cushion the carrier-frame and prevent jerks in starting when the moving cable is seized by the grip-machine. These parts being well known need not be further described. erat-or be stationed at the car-front, so as bet- The front transverse bar of the grip-carrier has journals 7 7, on which are jointed the ends of two side bars 8 8, extending. to the front of the car-body and beneath the plat- 7 form B, where they are connected with ahousing F, the said side bars and housing constituting aforward extension of the grip-carrier.

The housing F, forming the terminus of the extension, is suspended by a link 9, hung to a suitable support 10 upon .the platform B, which link permits the free movement of the housing transversely as the link slides upon the support 10 or longitudinally or vertically as the link swings upon the support. The housingnot only carries the ends of the side bars 8 Sand forms the terminus of the extension, but it also carries the operating-lever C, which has its fulcrum on the housing, so that said lever moves with the grip-carrier, of which the housing forms practically a part.

The operating-lever is connected with the grip-machine by a connecting-rod 12, made in two sections and adjusted to a nicety in length by a turn-buckle T. As a result of this construction, the cable when seized controlsthe grip-machine, which in its turn controls the carrier with its extension and operating-lever, thus preserving all the parts in their proper relation, while the flexible connection of the platform and the housing andthe jointing of the side bars with the grip-carrier permit the necessary rise and fall of the platform without straining or altering the relation of the car. If desired, the housing F may be further utilized to carry the operating-levers of the brakes. V

It is desirable that a standard grip-machine shall be used throughout any given line to permit the same to be employed interchangeably with the cars, and therefore the rods 12 for connecting the grip-machines with the operating-levers should all be of a fixed length to permit a grip to be removed from one car to another, which is sometimes done by taking the grip-machinefrom under the car while said machine is yet in the slot-rail and by unhooking the connecting-rod from the handlever. Inasmuch, however, as coach or close cars and open or summer cars differ in their lengths it is desirable-in order to make such changes to make a proper provision for the varying length of the connecting-rods. When the gripmans position is at the car-front, the distance of hisoperating-handle from the grip-machine controls the length of the connecting-rod between the handle and gripper; but it often occurs that both classes of cars are in service at the same time, and this presupposes a contractible and extensible connecting-rod to the gripper not practicable. Therefore one part of my invention is to afford two wrist pins, one (the larger) adapted to the longer length of connectingrod and the other adapted to the shorter; but it not being practicable to put these two wristpins on the same actuating-lever I- provide a horizontal sliding bar S, connected to the operating-lever O, and place the second wristpin son the horizontal bar, so thatv the two standard lengths may each find its own wristpin and the operating-lever continue to do its work regardless of which wrist-pin is in service. The connection is also provided with another method of shortening or lengthening the rod by means of a turn-buckle T, which is only a provision to take up slack occurring by wear of the different joints intervening between the hand of the operator and the jaws of the gripping-machine, and is advantageous in preventing useless motion of the 1. A cable car having a truck-bearing, a-

grip-machine carrier extending to the carfront, with a grip-operating lever fulcrumed in the grip-carrier extension, and a rod in two sections united and adjustable in length bya turn-buckle, the rod connecting the gripmachine with its operating-lever, substantially as described.

2. A cable car having its operating-lever at the front and connected with a sliding bar carryinga second wrist-pin,on which is hooked the rod connecting the grip-machine with the operating-lever, substantially as described.

A cable car with its grip-operating lever at the car-front and having the end wall or door of a car-body provided with a re-entrant section, furnishing room for swinging the lever, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' JOHN STEPHENSON.

Witnesses:

S. A. STEPHENSON, JOSEPH STEPHENSON. 

